Toy cash register

Abstract

A toy cash register principally molded from rigid plastic material and comprising a shell-like housing having an upstanding rearward portion containing a rotatable register drum having cash indicia thereon, a drawer slidable in the lower portion of said housing, a unitary cash key-simulating member mounted within an opening in a surface sloping downwardly and forwardly from said upstanding portion and depressible to actuate said register drum, a drawer release key pivoted at one side of said housing to release a latch for said drawer, and said drawer also projecting a receipt-simulating slide when moved to open position.

I claim: 
     
       1. A toy cash register comprising in combination, a shell-like housing provided with an upstanding rear hollow portion and a forwardly and downwardly sloping upper surface section extending forwardly therefrom and positioned over a lower compartment, said sloping surface having a relatively large opening therein, a cash drawer slidable into and from a front opening in said lower compartment, latch means normally engaging complementary retaining means on said drawer within said compartment and spring means in said housing engaging said drawer to project it forwardly from said compartment when said latch is released, a rotatable register drum having money indicating indicia thereon enclosed within said upstanding rear hollow portion of said housing and operable about a horizontal axis therein, viewing means in a forward face of said upstanding rear portion of said housing within which indicia on said drum are viewable, a unitary cash key-simulating member having an area similar in size to said opening in said sloping surface and comprising a plurality of simulated cash keys upstanding thereon in fixed relation to each other in a bank arrangement and actuating means thereon extending from one end of said member into said upstanding portion of said housing and engageable with said rotatable register drum to rotate it, means pivotally connecting the opposite end of said key-simulating member to said housing for actuation thereof by depressing said member downwardly to effect rotation of said register drum, a release key pivotally supported by said housing and including means engageable with said latch means to disengage the same from said drawer and permit said spring means to project it to open position, and receipt-simulating member slidable forwardly through an opening in said housing upon actuation of said release key. 
     
     
       2. The toy cash register according to claim 1 in which said actuating means on said cash key-simulating member for engagement with said rotatable register drum comprises a finger extending from said one end of said member and engages lug means on one end of said drum for unidirectional rotation of said drum when said cash key-simulating member is depressed. 
     
     
       3. The toy cash register according to claim 2 in which said cash key-simulating member is pivotally connected to said housing adjacent the lower forward end of said member and said finger on said member extends rearwardly and upwardly from said one end of said member for engagement sequentially with a plurality of lugs extending axially from one end of said drum in circumferentially spaced arrangement around the axis of said drum. 
     
     
       4. The toy cash register according to claim 1 in which said release key is fixedly connected to one end of a relatively straight horizontal shaft pivotally supported within said housing adjacent the rear portion of said compartment for limited rotation and said key being adjacent one exterior side of said housing and having a finger engageable lever thereon positioned laterally and adapted to be depressed downward manually, said latch means also being fixed to said shaft and engageable with said complementary retaining means on said drawer positioned upon one side thereof, spring means on said latch operable to restore it to latching position after depression of said key to move said latch to releasing position, and said latch having cam means engageable by said retaining means on said drawer when said drawer is returned to enclosed position within said compartment therefor in said housing. 
     
     
       5. The toy cash register according to claim 1 in which said receipt-simulating member comprises a slide supported by said housing for movement through a slot in said housing adjacent one side of said cash key-simulating member, and coengageable means on said drawer and slide operable to project said slide forwardly from said housing for viewing when said drawer slides open and said slide is retracted by said drawer when it is pushed inwardly to closed position within said compartment in said housing. 
     
     
       6. The toy cash register according to claim 1 in which said housing is molded from rigid material and is rendered bipartite by the rear wall thereof being separably connected to the forward portion of said housing, said rear wall having an opening in the upper portion thereof adjacent said register drum through which indicia on said drum are viewable, said forward portion of said housing having guide ribs adjacent opposite interior sides of the lower portion thereof to guide movement of said drawer therebetween and also having a substantially horizontal surface on the interior of the forward portion of said housing adjacent a slot aligned therewith complementary in size to said receipt-simulating member and comprising said opening therefor and said receipt-simulating member comprising a slide supported slidably by said horizontal surface and projectable through said slot when said drawer is moved to open position. 
     
     
       7. The toy cash register according to claim 6 in which said forward portion of said housing in the upstanding rearward portion thereof has recesses horizontally aligned in the inner side walls of said portions and said register drum having axial means on opposite ends respectively received within said recesses to support said drum rotatably, said forward portion of said housing also having additional recesses in opposite interior sides thereof adjacent the lower edge of said cash key-simulating member and receiving opposite ends of a horizontal shaft engaging the lower edge portion of said member to pivotally support the same, and said sloping upper surface of said forward portion of said housing having a generally rectangular opening complementary in shape to said cash key-simulating member within which said member is positioned for limited pivoted depressing movement about said shaft to actuate said rotatable register drum. 
     
     
       8. The toy cash register according to claim 6 in which said drawer has an upstanding member on the inner end thereof and said receipt-simulating slide has a depending actuating member provided with a notch to receive said upstanding member on said drawer to interconnect the same for actuation. 
     
     
       9. The toy cash register according to claim 6 in which said drawer is molded from rigid material and is provided with an elongated recess on the bottom lower surface thereof, a lug formed on the interior of said rear wall of said housing in axial alignment with said recess, said spring means comprising a coiled compression spring mounted in said recess and one end thereof engaging said lug to position the same, and stop means on the bottom of said drawer engaging complementary means of said forward portion of said housing to limit opening movement of said drawer. 
     
     
       10. The toy cash register according to claim 1 in which said actuating means on said cash key-simulating member comprises a finger extending upwardly from one side of the inner end of said member and having a claw-like end, and said register drum having a circular pattern of a plurality of evenly spaced lugs projecting outwardly from one end thereof in position to be engaged successively by said claw-like end of said finger each time said key-simulating member is depressed to partially advance said drum, and said finger also having an addditonal surface positioned to engage one of said lugs when said key-simulating member is moved upwardly to its uppermost position and thereby further advance said drum rotatably in the same direction as the movement effected by said claw-like end of said finger to complete a desired extent of rotatable advancement of said drum corresponding to each complete movement of said key-simulating member in depressed and upward movements thereof.